Listeria monocytogenes and hemolytic Listeria innocua in poultry

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous, saprophytic, Gram-positive bacterium and occasional food-borne pathogen, often associated with ready-to-eat meat products. Because of the increased consumer interest in organic, all natural, and free range poultry products, it is important to understand L. monocytogenes in the context of such systems. Pasture-reared poultry were surveyed over the course of two 8-wk rearing periods. Cecal, soil, and grass samples were collected for Listeria isolation and characterization. Seven of 399 cecal samples (or 1.75%) were Listeria-positive. All positive cecal samples were obtained from broilers sampled at 2 wk of age. Grass and soil samples were collected from the pasture both before and after introduction of the poultry. Environmental samples collected after introduction of poultry were significantly more likely to contain Listeria (P < 0.001). The results of analytical profile index Listeria, sigB allelic typing, and hlyA PCR tests found that both L. monocytogenes and L. innocua, including hemolytic L. innocua, were recovered from the cecal and environmental (grass/soil) samples. The sigB allelic typing also revealed that (1) positive samples could be composed of 2 or more allelic types; (2) allelic types found in cecal samples could also be found in the environment; and (3) allelic types could persist through the 2 rearing periods. Our data indicate that both pasture-reared poultry and their environment can be contaminated with L. monocytogenes and hemolytic L. innocua.

Prevalence of Pathogens in Poultry Meat: A Meta-Analysis of European Published Surveys

“…L. monocytogenes can be found naturally in the environment (soil, sewage, animal feces and water) [99,101] and in foods. In particular, poultry can be asymptomatic carriers of this pathogen and introduce contamination in slaughterhouses [102,103].…”

Listeriosis in animals, its public health significance (food-borne zoonosis) and advances in diagnosis and control: a comprehensive review

“…Among these, listeriosis can cause severe and life-threatening complications Ta et al 2012;Asakura et al 2013;Kudirkiene et al 2013). Owing to change in food habits towards ready-to-eat products, food production systems, processing and supply, refrigeration for food preservation, interest in organic and natural products, interest in free-range birds and awareness towards better health, listeriosis is now considered as an emerging food-borne zoonosis of increased public health significance (Kaufmann 1988 Barbuddhe, Malik, et al 2008;Milillo et al 2012;Zhu et al 2012;. L. monocytogenes has also been isolated from seafoods, which poses a threat to human beings in the coastal areas too (Gawade et al 2010).…”

“…Good quality control strategies along with adequate *Corresponding author. Email: kdhama@rediffmail.com capsulated, pleomorphic, facultative anaerobic, rodshaped cocco-bacillus with an ability to switch from an environmental saprophyte to a potentially fatal pathogen (Vazquez-Boland et al 2001;Campero et al 2002;Milillo et al 2012;Mateus et al 2013;Vera et al 2013). The organism contains important virulence factors, i.e.…”

Zoonotic Public Health Hazards in Backyard Chickens

“…Listeria monocytogenes is common in poultry products, and handling and consumption of contaminated raw broiler meat is a risk factor for human infection (Mughini Gras et al., ). However, it is infrequently isolated from live poultry (Milillo et al., ; Sasaki et al., ) and contamination is thought to occur more often during slaughtering and further processing (Rorvik et al., ; Loura et al., ). In our material, L. monocytogenes was found on 33% of farms, but only in 1% of chickens which indicates that backyard chickens may not be the primary source of L. monocytogenes , but they could be easily contaminated by environmental sources and thus represent a potential risk for humans.…”

“…Salmonella and Campylobacter are among the most frequently occurring foodborne bacteria worldwide, and together with extended spectrum/AmpC beta‐lactamase (ESBL/AmpC) ‐producing E. coli are the most important poultry and poultry‐meat‐related foodborne biological hazards to public health (Batz et al., ; EFSA, ). Listeria monocytogenes, the causative organism of foodborne listeriosis, is commonly found in poultry products but it is rarely isolated from live poultry (Milillo et al., ; Sasaki et al., ). Yersiniosis is a gastrointestinal disease caused by Yersinia enterocolitica or Y. pseudotuberculosis .…”